Steam iron



R. S. KNAPP STEAM IRON Dec. 29, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1963 Z 6 Z E N m A 0 R Dec. 29, 1964 R. s. KNAPP 3,162,963

STEAM IRON Filed Feb. 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ROBERT 5'. K NAPP ATTaR/VEYS United States Patent M 3,162,%3 STEAM IRQN Robert S. Knapp, St. Louis, Mo, assignor to Knapp- Monarch Company, St. Louis, Me a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 250,776 Claims. (Cl. 38-77) This invention relates to steam irons and more particularly to means to drain and clean the water tank of a steam iron.

Steam irons, as currently constructed, are normally filled through an opening in the front of an iron handle with the water passing through an irregular passageway to the tank mounted above the sole plate of the iron. After use, it is desirable that the water remaining in the tank be emptied. Otherwise, it may continue to drip from the iron to cause stains on the sole plate or on the surface on which the iron is stored.

With irons as presently constructed it is difiicult to empty the tank completely because the iron must be held upside down and tipped forward while being shaken so that the water can pass the splash plate or plates normally provided in the tank and flow out through the irregular inlet passage. Not only is this a tedious operation, but it frequently results in leaving some water in the tank to drip from the iron and to cause stains, as indicated above.

A further difiiculty with conventional irons is that of cleaning the tank. As the irons are constructed, it is impossible to properly flush the tank to flush out impurities therefrom. Cleaners of the type currently marketed for cleaning the tanks of steam irons normally contain phosphoric acid which will form a black residue in the tank unless it is completely washed out of the tank after cleaning. This dark residue unless removed will bleed out with subsequent water fillings and may produce stains on the cloth being ironed in addition to damaging the finish of the sole plate and clogging the steam openings.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a steam iron in which the tank may be easily and completely drained.

Another object is to provide a steam iron in which the heel end of the tank is formed with a drain opening normally closed by a removable closure 50 that the tank can be completely drained by removing the closure from the opening and supporting the iron on its heel.

According to a feature of the invention, the closure for the drain opening is carried by a pivotal lever normally urged to closing position by a spring and movable to open position by a manually operable button. Preferably latch means are provided to latch the closure in its open position so that the iron can be stored with the closure open for complete drainage and drying. I A further object is to provide a steam iron in which the filling opening is at the toe end of the iron so that the tank can easily be flushed by circulating water or other cleaning fluid through the filling opening and the tank and out the drain opening at the heel end of the tank.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a steam iron embodying the invention with parts in section;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken substantially on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing certain of the parts in an alternate position;

3,162,963 Patented Dec. 29, 1964 FIG. 4 is an elevation looking from the rear of FIG. 1 on the line 44 with parts broken away;

FIG. 5 is a partial end view of the iron looking from the heel end;

FIG. 6 is a section on the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a partial view similar to FIG. 1 of an alternative construction; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial view similar to FIG. 7.

The iron of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, may be substantially conventional in its overall construction and configuration with additions and modifications to incorporate the features of the present invention. As shown, the iron comprises a sole plate 10 containing the usual electrical heating elements to heat it with an enclosing hood 11 secured to the sole plate and projecting beyond the heel end thereof, as shown. A handle 12 is mounted above the hood and is preferably heat insulated therefrom so that the handle will be maintained as cool as possible. A cord 13 may connect to the rear or heel end of the handle while the front end of the handle may carry a temperature adjustment 14.

The iron carries a tank 15 mounted within the hood 11 and which is adapted to contain water. The tank is filled through a filling passage 16 opening at the front of the handle and extending through at least one angle bend into the upper portion of the tank near the toe of the iron. The tank may additionally be provided with internal baflles, as is customary.

In the iron, as illustrated, the tank is adapted to contain water at atmospheric pressure with the water being released in relatively small quantities, as desired, to drop into cavities in the heated sole plate where it flashes into steam and passes out through openings in the sole plate, as indicated at 17. To control the flow of Water, a valve 18 is provided which is normally closed and which may be opened by raising a stem 19 which terminates in an operating button 21 projecting through the front end of the handle to be conveniently accessible for operation by the user. The steam iron, as so far described, is of typical construction, as for example is disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,038,269, but it will be understood that the invention described hereinafter could be applied to steam irons differing in structure from that shown and described in the said patent.

According to the present invention, a drain opening 22 is formed in the heel end of the tank, or Water reservoir, 15 and may terminate in an outwardly extending and facing annular lip, as shown. The opening is normally closed by a valve member shown as comprising an elongated lever 23 having, intermediate its ends, ears 2% that are pivoted in a wobbly mariner on a pin 24a carried by flanges of a bracket 24 secured by brazing, for example, to the top of the tank. The wobbly movement is achieved by having pin 24a smaller than the holes in ears 23b.

The lower end of the lever 23 is enlarged and is generally circular as at 23a and carries a sealing pad 25 the paths of movement of lever 23, and so as to engage the inner heel surface of the hood 11 so that it will normally tend to press the sealing disc 25 into sealing engagement with the drain opening. The heel end of the hood 11 is formed with the drain opening 28 that is aligned with opening 22 and is adapted to be positioned substantially in vertical register therewith, when the iron is rested on itsheel and handleas is normally done. Preferabl the opening 28 defines an outwardly turned annular lip (FIG. 6) so-that all of the water which enters the hood 11 will drain when the iron is stood up onits heel.

In order to move the closure 25 away from the drain opening 22 to permit drainage, the upper portion of the leverZS above pivot pin 24a carries a manually operable button 29 which is laterally slidably mounted in a elongated opening 30 in a shell 31 at the rear or heel end of the handle. .As best seen in'PIGS. 2 and 3, the button 29 is preferably formed with an outer, reduced or narrow, portion and an inneryenlarged or wider, portion "joined by abupt shoulders 32 which face outwardly. The

inner surface of the button engages the upper end of the lever 23 and when the button has been pressed inwardly, there is pivoting about pin 24a to move the valve closure 25 awayfrom the drain opening. At the same time, the wobbly mounting of lever 23 on pin 24a permits the outton 29 to be slid sideways in slot 3b, as shown in FIG. 2, so that one or the other'of the shoulders 32 will engage the inner surface of the shell 31. In this way the closure at leisure, and when it is completely empty, the drain control button 2% is pushed back to the closed valve position of FIG. 2 and the iron is then stored away until it is next used. While draining, the iron should preferably be placed on the drain surface of a sink or the like, -so that the water drains away conveniently. It will be noted that a straight dot-dash line P (the trace of a support plane) between the heel end of the shell 11 and the upper. rear end of the handle at the corner thereof, indicated at 33, will clear both the button 29 and the ip of the drain opening 28 in the shell 11. Thus, the iron can be stored on its heel in the usual manner without interference and with the drain opening open so that the tank may empty itself completely. If desired, while the iron is in this position additional water may be poured into the filling opening 16 to flow through the tank and to empty through drain opening 28, thereby to flush out the tank 11 thoroughly.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate an alternative construction wherein parts corresponding to like parts in FIGS. 1 to 6 In this are-indicated by the same reference numerals. construction, the heel end of the shell 11 is formed with an opening 258' defined by an inwardly turned annular flange 128 aligned with the outwardly turned flange 122 defining the drain opening 22. An annular washer 34 which may be formed of a high temperature sealing material, such as silicone rubber, is press fit between the heel end of the water reservoir, or tank, 15 and the shell 11 with its'ends overlying and engaging the inwardly turned flanges 128 and 122 surrounding the drain openings. This sealing member is pressed tightly between the tank and the shell to prevent any water from passing will be understood that when a drain outlet is provided for the water reservoir at the heel of the iron, it would be possible to eliminate the normal filling inlet and use the outlet as a filling inlet by holding the iron With its toe end pointed downward during a water filling operation. The opening to the reservoir would still serve as a drain outlet-when used as described herein. 4

While two embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, and while a-third modification has been suggested, it will be understood that they me illustrative only and not to be taken as a definition of the scope-of the invention, reference beinghad for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A'stearn'iron of the'type adapted to be rested on end with the sole plate upright, said steam iron comprising an elongated sole plate, rest means connected to said sole plate for resting the iron on end with the sole plate upright, a water storage tank separate from said rest means carried by the sole plate, said tank being adapted to have a water supply selectively introduced thereinto, the tank having a drain opening therein, a selective actuatable movable closure for the drain opening, and said drain opening being located on said tank to be at substantially the lowest point of said tank when the iron is rested on end, so as to selectively effect substantially complete drainage ofsaid tank, when the iron is in a normal on end rest position with the sole plate disposed n upright attitude.

2. A steam iron of the type adapted. to be rested on end with the sole plate upright, said steam iron comprising an elongated sole plate, rest means connecte d to said sole "plate for resting the iron, on end with'the sole plate upi right, a water storage tank separate from said rest means carried by the sole plate, said tank being adapted to have a water supply selectively introduced thereinto, the tank having a drain opening therein, a selective actuatable movable closure for the drain opening, and said drain opening being located on said tank to be at substantially the lowest point of said tank when the iron is rested on end, so as to selectively effect substantially complete drainage of said tank, when the iron is in a normal on end I rest position with the sole plate disposed in upright attitude, means mounting the closurefor movement toward and away from the drain opening, a spring acting on the closure urging it toward and into closing relationship with the drain opening, and a manual operating member engageable with said mounting'means to move the closure away from the drain opening.

3. The steam iron of claim 2 including latch means to hold the closure away from the drain opening.

,4. A steam iron comprising a sole plate, a tank carried by the sole plate, means defining a filling passage for the tank, a water supply conduit means between said tank and sole plate, the tank having a drain opening therein separate from the filling passage and conduit means, a hood secured to the-sole plate andenclosing the tank in spaced relation therewith and including a discharge opening portion'spaced from butradapted for registry with the drain opening in the tank, a closure for the drain opening, a lever mounting the closure for movement in the space between the tank and the hood, a spring in into the space between the tank 15 and the shell 11.

The aligned drain openings 28 and 22 are closed by a single resilient plug 35 which may also be formed of a high temperature sealing material, such as silicone rubber, and which, is removably pressed. through the openings,.,as shown. When it is desired to drain the tank tbis plug 35 maybe removed and the iron can be stood on its heel in the samemanner as with the construction of FIGS. 1 to 6;:-v p

Although I have disclosed my improved steam iron as one having a water filling inlet at the toe end of the iron and the drain outlet at the heel end of the iron, it

said space en aging the hood and urging the closure toward the drain opening in the tank, and a manual operating member engaging the lever and adapted for moving the closure away from the drain opening.

7 5. A steam iron comprising. a sole plate, a tank carried by the sole plate, means defining a filling passage for the tank, the tank having a drain opening therein separate from the filling passage,'a hood secured to the sole plate and enclosing the tank in spaced relation thereto, said a hood having a discharge opening for drainage therefrom,

a valve for the drain opening in the tank, a lever mounting the valve for movement in the space betweenthe tank and said hood, spring means in said space urging the valve toward said drain opening, said lever being wobbly mounted so as to afford effecting movement of said lever over two paths, one path being toward and away from the drain opening to move the valve between valveopen and valve-closed positions, and the other path being in directions different than those which effect opening and closing of the drain opening and being between lever-latched and lever-unlatched positions, and means for selectively maintaining the lever in lever-latched position.

6. A steam iron comprising a sole plate having a toe at one end and a heel at its other end, a tank carried by the sole plate extending substantially to the heel end of the sole plate, means defining a filling passage for the tank at the toe end of the sole plate, the tank having a drain opening therein at the heel end of the sole plate, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends adjacent to the heel end of the sole plate, a closure for the drain opening carried by one end of the lever, a spring urging the closure toward the drain opening, a shell enclosing the other end of the lever, a manually operable button slidable through an opening in the shell and engageable with the other end of the lever to move the closure away from the drain opening, and a shoulder on the button engageable with the shell to latch the button in a position holding the closure away from the drain opening.

7. A steam iron comprising a sole plate having a toe at one end and a heel at its other end, a tank carried by the sole plate extending substantially to the heel end of the sole plate, means defining a filling passage for the tank at the toe end of the sole plate, the tank having a drain opening therein at the heel end of the sole plate, a hood secured to the sole plate enclosing the tank and having an opening in its heel end registering with the drain opening, and a sealing plug fitting removably mounted in the last named opening and the drain opening.

8. A steam iron comprising a sole plate having a toe at one end and a heel at its other end, a tank carried by the sole plate extending substantially to the heel end of the sole plate, means defining a filling passage for the tank at the toe end of the sole plate, the tank having a drain opening therein at the heel end of the sole plate, a hood secured to the sole plate enclosing the tank and having an opening in its heel end registering with the drain opening, an annular sealing member between the heel end of the tank and the heel end of the shell around the last named opening and a sealing plug fitting removably mounted in the openings.

9. A steam iron comprising a sole plate having a toe at one end and a heel at its other end, a tank carried by the sole plate extending substantially to the heel end of the sole plate, means defining a filling passage for the tank at the toe end of the sole plate, the tank having a drain opening therein at the heel end of the sole plate, a hood secured to the sole plate enclosing the tank and having an opening in its heel end registering with the drain opening, and selective actuable means for normally closing off the opening in the heel end of the tank.

10. A steam iron comprising a sole plate having a toe at one end and a heel at its other end, a tank carried by the sole plate extending substantially to the heel end of the sole plate, means defining a filling passage for the tank, the tank having a drain opening therein separate from the filling passage and located at the heel end of the sole plate, a hood secured to the sole plate enclosing the tank and having an opening in its heel end registering with the drain opening, and selective actuable means for normally closing off the opening in the heel end of the tank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 976,571 Hull Nov. 22, 1910 1,414,007 Berwick Apr. 25, 1922 2,387,281 Morton Oct. 23, 1945 2,427,521 Butman Sept. 16, 1947 2,762,143 Hoecker Sept. 1, 1956 2,794,275 Hoecker June 4, 1957 

1. A STEAM IRON OF THE TYPE ADAPTED TO BE RESTED ON END WITH THE SOLE PLATE UPRIGHT, SAID STEAM IRON COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SOLE PLATE, REST MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SOLE PLATE FOR RESTING THE IRON ON END WITH THE SOLE PLATE UPRIGHT, A WATER STORAGE TANK SEPARATE FROM SAID REST MEANS CARRIED BY THE SOLE PLATE, SAID TANK BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE A WATER SUPPLY SELECTIVELY INTRODUCED THEREINTO, THE TANK HAVING A DRAIN OPENING THEREIN, A SELECTIVE ACTUATABLE MOVABLE CLOSURE FOR THE DRAIN OPENING, AND SAID DRAIN OPENING BEING LOCATED ON SAID TANK TO BE AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE LOWEST POINT OF SAID TANK WHEN THE IRON IS RESTED ON END, SO AS TO SELECTIVELY EFFECT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE DRAINAGE OF SAID TANK, WHEN THE IRON IS IN A NORMAL ON END REST POSITION WITH THE SOLE PLATE DISPOSED IN UPRIGHT ATTITUDE. 